Compensating device.



No. 758,584. PATENTBD APR. 26.1904. W. Y. GRUIKSHANK.-

OOMPBNSATING DEVICE.

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No. 758,534; PATEN'TED APR. 26, 1904,

W. Y. GRUIKSHANKl COMPENSATING DEVICE..

APPLICATION FILED 00T.71. 1903.

I l BY mmm WILLIAM Y. ORUIKSHANK, OF FREELAND, PENNSYLVANIA,ASSIGNOR OF.

Patented April 26, 1904.

i PATENT OEEICE.

ONE-HALF TO JOHN C. CRUIKSHANK AND JAMES K. ORUIKSHANK, OF

FREELAND, PENNSYLVANIA.

COMPENSATING `DEVICE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 758,584, dated April 26, 1904:.

Application filed October l, 1903. Serial No. 175,314. (No model.)

To all whom it may concer-n,.- Y

Be it known that I, WILLIAM Y. ORUIK- SHANK, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Freeland, in the county of Luzerne and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and Improved Oompensating Device, of

which the following is a full, clear, Vand exact` zontal plane and the platform acts as a brake on the downgrade and as a power on the ascending grade to assist in the propulsion of 2O the carriage, its suspended platform, and the load thereon.

The invention consists of novel features and parts and combinations of the same, as will be more fully described hereinafter and then pointed out in the claims.

A practical embodiment of the invention is represented in the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a perspective View of the improvement, showing the carriage and parts suspended thereon at the starting-point, parts of the drum-casing being broken outy and the platform removed. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the compensating drums and the ropes in position when the carriage is in the middle of the span. Fig. 3 is a like view of the same in position at the end of the travel of the carriage. Fig. 4 is a plan View of the platform and the suspending-ropes, and Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the same.

On cables A travel the wheels B of a carriage C, engaged by a pulling-rope D or other device tocause the carriage to travel forward and backward over the cables A between towers E or other points of suspension for the said cables. On the four -wheels B or on the ailes thereof are pulleys F, over which pass endless ropes G, G', G2, and G3, winding at their lower ends on compensating drums H, H', H2, and H3, respectively, each in the form ofadouble cone grooved spirally at its peripheral face, as plainly indicated in Figs. 1, 2, and 3. The compensating drums are disposed diametrically, and the drums H and H3 are secured on a shaft H4, journaled in suitable bearings in a casing I or like support for cari rying a platform J, on which a wagon or other load to be transported is held, as indi` cated in dotted lines in Fig. L1. The drums H' and H2 are held on individual shafts H5 and H, likewise journaled in the casing I, as plainly indicated in the drawings.

' Each rope G, G', G2, and G3 iswound on the corresponding c ornpensatingdrum H, H', H2,

Vand H3 in such a manner that when the carriage O is at the lowest point of the cable A- Lthat is, midway between the towersEthen the lower ends of the ropes are equally wound on the grooves adjacent to the common bases of the cones of a drum, as plainly indicated in Fig. Q-'that is, each rope has siX windings on its drum, three on each side of the middle of the drum. Y

By reference to Figs. 1, 2, and 3 it will be seen that by placing the drums diagonally, as described, the upwardly-extending strands of the ropes always extend in alinement with the pulleys F, so that the ropes are not liable to leave the said pulleys during the travel of the carriage over the cable A from one terminus to the other.

It will be seen that when the carriage-O is in the middle of the span and now ascends toward either tower then the pulleys F, rotating with the carriage-wheels B,cause the ropes G, G', G2, and G3 to travel to rotate the compensating drums H, H', H2, and H3. Each rope unwinds one strand toward the drums-greatest diameter when the other strand winds onto the drums smallest diameter. As the carriage ascends the grade is constantly increasing to- Wardeither tower E and the purchasing power is in the same ratio increasing in' favor of the strand that is unwinding toward the drums greatest diameter, this increasing leverage in moving from 'the center of the drum thereby assisting in driving the carriage up the grade toward the terminus. The power thus developed by the compensating drums is transmitted by the endless ropes G, G', G2, and G3 to the pulleys F, rotating with the wheels B, thus assisting in revolving the same, and thereby assisting in propelling the carriage C upgrade.

When the carriage is returning toward the center or lowest point in the cables, the grade is constantly decreasing and the endless ropes G, G, G2, and G3 on the compensating drums are the same ratio acting as a brake by winding one strand from the drums greatest diameter toward its smallest diameter.

When the carriage reaches the middle of the span at the lowest point of the cable, then the endless ropes are on the drnms greatest diameter and equally on either side of it, as previously explained, and the carriage is consequently balanced.

It is understood that'the amount of power developed on the upgrade, as well as the friction on the drums on the downgrade, depends on the weight carried on the platform J that is, the heavier the load the more power on the upgrade and the more friction on the downgrade is developed. It will further be noticed that the power on the upgrade increases and is greatest on the steepest point of the grade and in a like manner the friction or brake on each compensating drum is greatest on the downward motion at the highest or starting point in the grade and it decreases in the same' ratio as the grade decreases.

The winding and unwinding of the endless ropes, as described, causes the casing I and the platform J held thereon to travel in a horizontal plane instead of following the curvature of the cable. This movement is obviated by the compensating drums taking on larger quantities of the endless ropes as the carriage nears the lower point in the cable, thus raising the platform relative to the carriage, and when the carriage moves from the middle of p the cable toward either terminus more endless rope is paid out from each drum than is taken on, so that the distance between the carriage and the platform J is lengthened, and While the carriage on the cable is going upgrade the platform J travels horizontally. This difference in the paying out and the taking on of the endless ropes on the drums compensates for the sag or grade in the cables, so that the platform travels on a horizontal plane from terminus to terminus.

Another feature is that the cone ends of the drums nearest each terminus are a little smaller and take on less endless rope than the cone ends do which are toward the center of the platform, and consequently as the carriage ascends the grade of the cables A t0- ward either tower E more endless rope is paid out from the end nearest the terminus than from the hindmost drums, consequentlydropping the forward drums just enough to compensate for the angle of the carriage on the grade of the cables, thus causing the platform to remain in a horizontal position while the carriage follows the grade. In fact, the compensating drums are regulators and magazines in which is taken up and stored power which would otherwise be lost in running downgrade and then paying out the power at the right time and in the right manner to carry the load of the lplatform on the upgrade to the terminus. It is understood that the drums are preferably proportioned to the length of the span and the sag of the cables, so that loads either light or heavy can be carried across rivers or between distant points on the cables as easily as cars can take the same load on level railroads, as the drums in their action are perfectly compensating in every way.

The platform J is caused to travel transversely in unison with the travel of the endless ropes on the drums, so that the load, be it light or small, is always in the. same relative position with the strands of the endless ropes which support it, thereby keeping the center of gravity of the platform at the same point.

For the purpose mentioned the shaft H4 is provided with a worm-wheel K, in mesh with a worm K', secured on a shaft K2, extending longitudinally and journaled in suitable bearings in the casing I for the platform J. On the shaft K2 are secured pinions K3, in mesh with transversely-extending racks L, secured to the under side of the platform J, so that when the shaft K2 is rotated from the shaft H4 the platform J is correspondingly shifted in a transverse direction for the purpose above described. I

In order to insure a uniform rotation of the wheels B and pulleys F, the front and rear axles of the carriage C are provided with sprocket-wheels and a sprocket-chain connecting the said sprocket-wheels with each other, as indicated in Fig, 1.

It is understood that instead of the ropes G, G, G2, and G3 cables or sprocket-chains may be employed and the drums provided with sprocket-teeth arranged in spiral form the same as the spiral grooves.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patentl. A compensating device for a platform suspended from a carriage traveling over suspension-cables, consisting of a pulley on the carriage and rotating with the carriage-wheels, a rope extending over the pulley, and a compensatingdrumfournaled in the platform-support and around which winds the said rope, as set forth.

2. A compensating device for a platform suspended from a carriage traveling over suspension-cables, consisting of a pulley on the IOO carriage and rotating With the carriage-Wheels, a rope extending over the pulley, and a compensating drum journaled in the platformsupport and around which Winds the saidrope, the said compensating drum being disposed diagonally and in the form of a double cone, grooved spirally at its peripheral face, as set forth.. 1

3. A compensating device for a platform suspended from a carriage traveling over suspension-cables, consisting of a plurality of compensating drums journaled in the platform-support, and ropes passing around the compensating drums and overpulleys on the carriage, and rotating in unison with each other and with the carriage-Wheels, as set forth.

4. A compensating device for a platform suspended from a carriage traveling over suspension-cables, consisting of a plurality of compensating drums journaled in the platform-support, and ropes passing around the compensating drums and over pulleys on the carriage, and rotating in unison with each other and With the carriage-Wheels, the said compensating drums being disposed diagonally, as set forth.

5. A compensating device for a platform suspended from a carriage traveling over suspension-cables, consisting of a plurality of compensating drums jo|urnaled in the platform-support, ropes passing around the compensating drums and over pulleys on the carpension-cables, consistingof a plurality of compensating drums journaled in the platform-support, ropes passing around the compensating drums and over pulleys on the carriage, and rotating in unison with each other and with the carriage-Wheels, a platform slid-- able transversely on its support, a gearing actuated from one of the drum-shafts and connected with the platform, to shift the latter transversely, the said gearing consisting of a shaft extending longitudinally and journaled in the platform-support, a gearing connect- I ing one of the drum-shafts With the said longitudinal shaft, pinions on the longitudinal shaft, and racks on the said platform, extending transversely and in mesh with the said pinions, as set forth. f p

VIn testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specication in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

WILLAM Y. CRUIKSHANK. Witnesses:

C. O. STROH, A. C. VAN AKEN. 

